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| Also see : Corporate Social Responsibility |
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FE : Fun ways to sell your wares : Oct 7 ,2007 Fun ways to sell your wares Sapient employees find an interesting way to raise funds for deprived children FES Bureau M ANY would call it a regular team-building endeavour required to cut attrition and keep employees busy in fun while accomplishing a goal. And frankly, that's what it is. Unlike other social responsibility (SR) events happening across the city, the programme here at Sapient Gurgaon adds more value to the company than being just an image-building exercise. The mission is to raise funds to help children at Butterflies (a welfare organisation for street children), and CanKids (a unit of Indian Cancer Society). "Raising funds is something very obvious in a company's social responsibility programme. Over the years, our agenda has been to make it interesting for our employees. This has led us to the launch of the silent auction," says Sandeep Dhar, managing director, Sapient India. So what exactly is the "silent auction"? It is a fun way of getting the community (employees) together to offer its services or products at a cost, which is open for a silent bid by others in the company. The highest bid wins the service or product. The programme is then followed by a "loud auction", where the company bids for the most creative services or products. The money collected from all the winning bids then go as charity donations to Butterflies and CanKids. So last week, smart and sensible employees of the company were perched on tables trying to sell their wares. It was all serious fun. For those interested to know what was on sale this year, here is the list. Pencil sketches of past and present great wonders of the world (Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Pyramids in Egypt, Christ the Redeemer, The Colosseum, etc), five tennis lessons to make you a Federer at one shot, a team breakfast (though in the office cafeteria), a director skit (a show put up by directors of the company for the team on any topic), among others. "It was crazy to watch your directors sing, act, eulogise and strut about in lovely costumes created by them is a once-in-a-lifetime oppor tunity!" says Anurag Bhatnagar, a senior employee with the company. Adding, "The best bid though was to fulfil the wish of a child suffering from cancer. It was sold with beautiful words and managed to get the highest bid of Rs 76,000." The event witnessed enthusiastic participation by Sapient employees boisterously bidding to up the ante. "The entire affair is an apt testimony of the competitive demeanor of our people, beyond board rooms. Most importantly it is reflective of the cumulative commitment of our people who unite to contribute to a common cause," says Dhar. The total amount raised was Rs 3, 30, 000, which will be matched by the company. "We are also happy that the Gurgaon office (with funds over Rs 6 lakh) trounced the Bangalore office (which raised Rs 2 lakh). It is a competition after all," says Bhatnagar. For Binoo Wadhwa, director, People Success, Sapient India, who also takes care of the SR programme, the mission is not just to raise funds. Its real success lies in people realising how the employees - while sitting in their office - can happily shell out money to help the destitute, she says. "First conducted in 2003, the programme is growing by leaps and bounds. Looking at the rush, we are now brainstorming on how to make it more interesting," she says. So going in for a national auction with all company office centres pitching in or inviting the clients is on the cards. "Every innovative idea needs upgrades to sell well," explains Dhar. Point taken. Publication : Financial Express; Section : Corporate Citizen; Pg : 4; Date : 7/10/07 URL : http://70.86.150.130/financialexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=07_10_2007_004_004 |
| Also see : Corporate Social Responsibility |
